US has blotted copybook acting as world's policeman

Whether the world needs the United States to play the role of global "policeman" has been increasingly questioned in recent years, as its interventions in the affairs of other countries have consistently done more harm than good.

With US President Donald Trump declaring this week that the world's sole superpower is discarding this self-assumed role, much of the world will feel relieved - at least for a while.

That Trump made public his decision during a surprise visit to Iraq on Thursday is ironically apt as it is a country that still bears the scars from the US' heavy-handed policing.